David Barclay Miller -- Missing in Arizona Since 1998

Paraphrased details from government source**: 

David was last seen leaving for a two-and-a-half-day hiking trip in Sedona, Arizona on May 19th, 1998. David was an experienced hiker employed by the Sedona Forest Service. David's vehicle was found abandoned at the Vultee Arch Trail in Sedona, AZ. Mr. Miller was an experienced hiker and was a seasonal employee with the United States Forestry Service.

Missing Person: David Barclay Miller
Last-contact date: May 19th, 1998 (Tuesday)
The area where the MP was last seen: Sedona, Arizona
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 22 years old
Birthdate: July 6th, 1975
Hair: Sandy
Eyes: Blue and may be wearing glasses or contact lenses
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5'11" to 6'1" and 160 to 170 pounds
BMI*: David Barclay Miller was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: David Barclay Miller did not have any tattoos associated with his profiles.

David Barclay Miller, a missing person, was last heard from on Tuesday May 19th, 1998 when he was 22 years old. The last people to see him before he went on a two-day hike were his co-workers on May 19th, 1998 at the Beaver Creek Ranger Station. He left a note indicating what his plans were but a search started when he did not report to work as expected on Friday May 22nd, 1998. This individual has now been missing for about 23 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

There was significant newspaper coverage with this missing person. His truck was found at the Vultee Arch Trail in the Sedona area. In coverage I read, there was a concern that he would not have enough drinking water in a part of the USA that is very dry and hot.

25 May 1998, Mon Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) Newspapers.com

The Vultee Arch Trail is only a 5.8-km "heavily trafficked" trail according to AllTrails.com. However, it is connected to a broader network of trails and backcountry. The missing person may not have perished near the specific trail that his profile is associated with.

What is puzzling with this case is that I did not find any indication that his campsite was located. He was on a multi-day trip and would surely have needed supplies and, I assume, a tent. 

If his campsite was packed as he traveled on foot then he should be a pretty big target to find in an arid part of the USA where the forests are not as thick as many other parts of the country. If he was unpacked and set up for camp when he suffered a mishap, I would think that someone would have found his campground after all this time. 

I do find the concern over his lack of water to be a little difficult to accept. Surely, this is a hot place in the USA. In fact, I looked up the temperatures for the Sedona area on May 20th, 1998 and found a high of 83F (about 28C). But overall, the way I feel about this case is that something sudden and unexpected happened to him. Conversely, running out of a water, when you start with a lot of it, is something that someone would see coming: you could turn back when you realize you didn't bring enough. 

This trail is also very popular. I wondered how it could be that someone didn't help him as he would have foreseen any water shortage approaching.

20 May 1998, Wed Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) Newspapers.com

When he disappeared, he was thought to have a t-shirt, shorts and black hiking boots, and a forest-green Gregory backpack. Those details can be cross-referenced against John Does. It would help to know what supplies he was carrying as well. Furthermore, what was found in his vehicle might be interesting. 

The following Youtube video shows what the region was like in 2009. As you can see, there are a lot of smooth edges where someone that's feeling adventurous might fall.

Popular Tag: "Car Found Person Missing" is a popular tag for this site. It describes a missing person who either owned or was using a vehicle at the time of his/her disappearance. The vehicle is found but the person is not. Click the hashtag at the bottom of this blog post to see just how many times this pattern is present in missing person cases.

 

Author: Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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Michael August Cannon -- Missing Since December 25th, 1966 From Hawaii

This article is part of a series that looks at missing trail hikers. Click the "trail hiking series" hashtag at the end of this blog to see all thematically related articles.

Paraphrased Details from NamUs**: 

Michael August Cannon left his family's Kahala home in Hawaii early Christmas morning in 1966. He left a note stating that he planned to hike on Tantalus. His empty car was found at the top of Tantalus the next morning. The resulting search and rescue mission, which at the time was the largest and most expensive ever in Hawaii, failed to find Michael. However, his vehicle was found at Tantalus trailhead the next morning. This vehicle had his jacket in it and five dollars. The doors were locked.

Missing Person: Michael August Cannon
Last-contact date: December 25th, 1966 -- left a note in the morning, he may have been seen on the Tantalus Trail at about 5pm later that day (HSB Jan 3 1967 A-1A), however, I considered sightings of this missing person to be tenuous
The area where the MP was last seen: Honolulu, Hawaii
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White or Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 18 years old
Birthdate: Michael August Cannon was born between December 26th, 1947, and December 25th, 1948 based on his reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Brown, short-cropped and curly
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None indicated
Height/weight: 5'11" and 165 to 175 pounds
BMI*: Michael August Cannon was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Michael August Cannon did not have any tattoos associated with his profiles.

Michael August Cannon was last heard from on December 25th, 1966 when he was 18 years of age. This individual has now been missing for about 55 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

A couple things stood out to me while researching this missing person case. Firstly, he went missing on Christmas Day. Often, the holidays at the end of the year are a time of celebration but there is a lot of depression at that time of year as well. However, I didn't really find anything mentioning depression or despondence with this missing person. He seemed to have a bright future that he was looking forward to.

One detail that stands out with this case is that Michael Cannon had a share in a $2,750,000 inheritance at the time of his disappearance ($5.5M; half went to mother, mother left the other half to her children). According to SmartAsset.com, $1,000,000 in 1966 would be worth $8,269,865 in 2021. Accordingly, $2.75M would now be worth $22,742,128.75. He was not the sole inheritor to this amount but was one of five grandchildren to a "chemical magnate" who made a fortune. 

31 Dec 1966, Sat Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com

The area where the hiker went missing is one that I'm familiar with from another case. Michael's car was found at Tantalus trailhead on December 26th, 1966. In more recent times, Wynn Lindsey went missing in the same area. Lindsey's car was also found near a trailhead. One difference is that Michael's doors were locked while Lindsey's car had a door open.

Michael Cannon remains lost, however, he is not lost without a trace. A shirt of his was found, the only result of a well-financed expedition over ten months that included ground searchers, "professional mountaineers from California," "search dogs from Canada," and some not-so-helpful psychics and something called "map-reading mystics." As soon as you see psychics or 'mystics' involved in a search, don't be surprised if the person isn't found: it means someone that doesn't have a scientific mentality is influencing the search. 

16 Jul 1997, Wed Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com

The shirt that was found seemed like a tenuous connection to Michael to me. It was found tied to a bush by a man named Richard Davis. Also, there were people that thought they saw someone matching his description, however, these sightings seemed tenuous to me.

The possibility that Michael disappeared intentionally was mentioned in many articles, often as an opinion of the police. It's hard to imagine someone giving up such a large inheritance, in my opinion. Furthermore, police, in my opinion, seem keen to believe in whatever hypothesis is easiest on their budgets. If Michael is missing voluntarily, then what need is there to search? It's an easy way out for them. Michael's mother was adamant that he remained on Oahu in all sources that I encountered.

I did some research on the trail that he went missing on, the Tantalus Trail. It seemed that in 1966 there was Tantalus Trail 1 and Tantalus Trail 2.

02 May 1966, Mon Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com

I found one case that shared some details from about the same time. A man with similar demographics to Michael went missing in what I think is the same trail network a few months earlier. I don't know if he was ever found. In addition to similar demographics, the man's car was found locked just as Michael's was. Tantalus Trail is mentioned in the article.

21 Oct 1965, Thu The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com

Michael Cannon was associated with a lot of clothing articles and/or possessions. Note the following with this case: 'Blue jeans', 'tan hiking bootsa white t-shirt with "Judson School" (of Scottsdale, AZ) on the front', 'Olive-drab backpack', 'canteen', 'high energy candy bars', 'Polaroid camera', 'first aid kit in a blue-and-white plastic case', and a map of the trail area.

Please, take a moment to share this blog post on social media using hashtags relevant to the missing person's area. Also, please include the website hashtag #MPCSL.

Popular Tag: "Car Found Person Missing" is a popular tag for this site. It describes a missing person who either owned or was using a vehicle at the time of his/her disappearance. The vehicle is found but the person is not. Click the hashtag at the bottom of this blog post to see just how many times this pattern is present in missing person cases.

 

Author: Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources. Details may be added.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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Mary Wesolowski Missing 1971: New Leads & 1978 Fire Connection Explored | Glens Falls, NY Cold Case Update 2025

Author: Shane Lambert

Original Time of Writing: December 2020
Update: October 3rd, 2025, she remains missing
Update: October 7th, 2025, new evidence confronted
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Missing Person: Mary Wesolowski, aka Mary Anne or Maryann
Last seen or contact date: August 18th, 1971 (Wednesday); August 8th, 1971 at CharleyProject
Where last seen: Glen Falls, New York
Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 13 years old
Hair: Brown to light brown

Eye color: blue
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 4'6" and 85 pounds

Other: scars -- abdomen and chest; teeth -- crooked in 1971

Clothing: black leather belt, a white t-shirt, and red-and-white shorts

Mary Wesolowski Missing 1971: New Leads & 1978 Fire Connection Explored | Glens Falls, NY 

Update: the theory below bumped into a piece of evidence that likely refutes it.

The case of Mary Wesolowski (NamUs MP2876) is the kind of case that takes you in two different directions. From one perspective, you have to wonder if she was abducted. She was last known to be walking to Havilland Cove on the Hudson River. A known abductor, Kenneth Arnold Yarter Jr., didn't work that far away from where Mary lived. With that in mind, it's hard not to think about an abduction.

But Wesolowski, in my opinion, is more likely to have run away. She left a note for her mother saying "I'm leaving. I might miss you."

That's present tense in the first sentence and future tense in the second, the latter indicating a look to an uncertain future. It's an interesting note in that the second sentence communicates mixed emotions for her mother. That certainly hints at problems at home for this child, something that has been communicated at various sources about this case, like at Charley Project.

The note creates a bit of a connection to the missing person's case of Beverly Sharpman. She is a long-missing American teen who left a note stating that she was leaving on her own account. A lot of people who have written about Sharpman's case, myself included, felt that she survived her disappearance event. I think Maryanne survived her disappearance event as well, but died in a housefire several years later.

Ambiguity Regarding the Name

Charley Project offered a lengthy description of Mary's disappearance. One excerpt states "Some agencies give Mary's name 'Mary Ann' or 'Maryanne.'

Interestingly enough I found a woman in northern New York who died in the late 1970's with a name match, regardless of the spacing between Mary and Ann or not. It may be worth a look despite a one-year difference in age.

If we assume that she ran away, I think it's safe to assume that she made it a little way out of Glen Falls, New York. Chances are if she stayed put she would have been found. How far could she make it with whatever means she had? Probably not too far. Maybe getting out of New York would have been hard.

Take a look at the following two articles. They both describe the same person and event despite different name spellings and different ages:

Name matches to missing person but Mary Ann Wesolowski but the age is one year off. Tue, Nov 21, 1978 – Page 14 · Poughkeepsie Journal (Poughkeepsie, New York) · Newspapers.com

Tue, Nov 21, 1978 – 3 · The Post-Star (Glens Falls, New York) · Newspapers.com

The problem with the articles is that one describes a "Mary Ann Wesolowski, 21" and the other describes a "Maryann Wesoloswki, 22." Note the difference in spelling of both the first and last names but Wesolowski spelled correctly for Billy. Also, note the different ages. Furthermore, note all the other similarities because they practically eliminate the chance of these two people, "Mary Ann Wesolowski, 21" and "Maryann Wesoloswki, 22" actually being different people. Clearly, the two news articles cover the same event.

Lastly, and importantly, note that our Mary Wesolowski, NamUs #MP2876, was neither 21 nor 22 on November 21st, 1978. She would only have been 20. But it's funny how she was referred to as Maryann and Mary Ann and that's how different agencies described her as well. That the age doesn't match is important -- in fact, in some cases that's a rule out. In this case, I can't ignore the journalism that didn't care to get her age right or name spelled right. Maybe they were working with shoddy sources themselves.

The Mary described in the news articles was likely white. One photo had a picture of the dying Billy, Mary's child, and he was white. It's not a slam dunk to have the same color of skin as one of your parents but that's the way it usually goes. Our Mary, the missing person, was also white.

Tue, Nov 21, 1978 – 17 · The Herald-Palladium (Saint Joseph, Michigan) · Newspapers.com

For me, this all means that this "Maryann Wesoloswki, 22" or "Mary Ann Wesolowski, 21" should be looked at as a rule-out for Mary Wesolowski, #MP2876. A good idea would be if websleuths or amateurs took to the databases they have memberships for and looked for the Mary that died in this house fire. We're interested in someone with a different birthdate, a different photo, or something that rules her out because the crummy journalism doesn't do that for me.

On the matter, I did look at ancestry.com for the deceased two-year-old Jennifer Wesolowski. I found someone by that name in the Buffalo area that was born in 1976, someone that had an address in N. Tonawanda, New York, USA. I wondered if that was the Jennifer mentioned in the article because the age would match. I'm thinking that this address might be a clue in this case.

If Mary from the housefire is our missing person, then be aware that she did die from the injuries sustained from the fire. This would be about closure and not a reunion.

I do wonder if, perhaps, she changed her age somehow after running away. Runaways do often lie about their ages to access jobs, services meant for an older group, or to gain emancipation prematurely.  If Maryann did something like this, then in the age before digitalization she might have ended up with ID that made her look two years older than she was. That would mean she could be the Maryann Wesolowski that died in the house fire.

This might simply be her right here: Maryann Wesolowski on Findagrave.

Wed, Nov 22, 1978 – 2 · Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York) · Newspapers.com

Update on October 7th, 2025: On this date, new evidence was confronted, credited to KCromwell on Websleuths for pointing to an article from the Buffalo-Courier Express. This articles indicates that Mrs. Wesolowski, who died in the fire, recently moved into flat 15 days ago with her children after staying with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Luksch and that she was separated from her husband, John.

This suggests the woman who died in the house fire married into the Wesolowski name, with her maiden name likely being Luksch, aligning with her parents' surname. This strongly indicates she is not the Maryann Wesolowski who went missing in 1971. I will leave this article up as is in order to prevent others from pursuing this same rabbit hole, avoiding unnecessary confusion.